Jim Prentice, the former federal finance minister under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, will join the race to be the next provincial Tory leader, a source said Monday, though he isn’t expected to officially announce his candidacy until next week.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

“Jim is coming in with the full expectation that it’s a strong campaign and he’ll have to fight for every vote. That’s what we intend to do,” said the spokesman for Prentice, who asked not to be named.

It’s expected Prentice, a former federal Industry and Environment minister in the Harper government, will formally enter the PC leadership contest sometime next month. The deadline for candidates to qualify and get their paperwork in to the party is May 30.

A lawyer in Calgary who once specialized in aboriginal land claims before entering politics, Prentice has not spoken publicly about the leadership issue since Alison Redford resigned as premier last month. People close to Prentice, who is currently an executive with CIBC, say he’s been carefully considering the idea for several weeks.

The 57-year-old Prentice immediately becomes the front-runner in the Tory leadership contest, which so far has only one declared candidate, Calgary-West MLA Ken Hughes.

Hughes, a former energy and municipal affairs minister, has known Prentice for years and welcomed him to the contest, but said he intends to remain in the race.

“It will be constructive competition,” Hughes said. “I believe anybody who runs for premier . . . should expect that to be a very competitive process — and I intend to win.”

Political analyst Duane Bratt from Mount Royal University said with Prentice now running to be the next premier, he expects the PC leadership contest will “not be competitive” as the former MP gains support from across the party.

Unlike other would-be candidates from within the Tory cabinet ranks, Prentice won’t carry any of the baggage of the unpopular decisions tied to the Redford government, he noted.

“He’s coming in as the white knight,” said Bratt.

The race officially opens May 15 and requires a non-refundable $50,000 entry fee.

The PCs’ top job came open last month with the sudden resignation of Redford amid plunging poll numbers, controversies over her expenses and her management style. Party members will vote for a new leader in September while Premier Dave Hancock serves in the interim.

Prentice was the MP for Calgary Centre-North and served in the portfolios of Indian and Northern Affairs, Industry and Environment under Prime Minister Stephen Harper between 2004 and 2010 before resigning to become vice-chairman of CIBC.

He has already gathered support from Tory ministers Fred Horne, Jeff Johnson, Greg Weadick, Manmeet Bhullar and Kyle Fawcett. Calgary PC MLA Neil Brown said on social media Monday that Prentice would also have his total support.

Former provincial treasurer Jim Dinning, who was also talked about as a potential candidate, called Prentice’s emergence as “a good next step to renewing the party.”

Finance Minister Doug Horner — who is also often mentioned as a potential contender — also had warm words for Prentice as a prospective party chief. Horner said in an interview Friday that Prentice is more than equal to the task of party leadership.

The finance minister said last week he would make his own leadership decision in “10 days or so” but noted that if Prentice enters the race it could affect whether he runs — a position echoed by federal Edmonton MP James Rajotte last week.

Aside from affecting the leadership battle, the emergence of Prentice also has the potential to change the political dynamic in Alberta, said analyst David Taras of Mount Royal University.

“It’s an earthquake in Alberta politics,” Taras said in an interview. “All the pieces on the chessboard will be moving because Prentice is on the chessboard.”

On Monday, the Opposition Wildrose issued a news release accusing the PCs of playing politics with Redford’s Calgary-Elbow riding, saying the former premier is not resigning as MLA to hold the seat open for Prentice in a potential byelection.

On Twitter, Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith welcomed Prentice to provincial politics — “We’ve been looking forward to you stepping into the arena” — but other opposition MLAs dismissed his bid.

Wildrose MLA Joe Anglin said he doesn’t expect Prentice’s candidacy to change the political picture in the province, just as Redford and Ed Stelmach couldn’t change the culture of entitlement within the long-governing Tory party.

“They’re looking at him being the saviour of this PC party, but as far as I’m concerned he’s just been parachuted onto the Titanic,” Anglin said. “If he wants to jump in there and captain that ship, the sooner it sinks, the better it is for all of Alberta.”

With files from James Wood, Calgary Herald, and The Canadian Press

dbraid@calgaryherald.com

jwood@calgaryherald.com

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